


Promises to Keep

by ladypredator



Series: Promises To Keep [1]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Gen, Mystery, Vampire OC, Violence, serial killings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-21
Updated: 2013-06-21
Packaged: 2017-12-15 15:54:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/851356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladypredator/pseuds/ladypredator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mulder and Scully investigate a series of murders involving blood loss and must face the vampiric killer with the aid of a very surprising ally. </p><p>This is the first of several stories involving the vampire Jason that I wrote back in the mid-1990s. These stories assume that Mulder and Scully already have an established romantic/sexual relationship. In this case, the relationship is merely backdrop for the story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promises to Keep

**2:00 am March 16**

Watching, always watching. 

Red wine swirled in his glass as he leaned against the wall in the dimmed corner of the bar. He wasn't particularly hungry this cold, quiet night. He'd fed only a couple of days earlier. The memory of it was as sour as the barely tasted wine in his glass. Without the spark, the life, the emotion, the blood was tasteless and cold. But it was too dangerous to allow a mortal to get close to him, he'd learned that the hard way over the long, empty centuries. So why was he out tonight? 

Jason sighed and pretended to sip at the wine as the tired, world-weary eyes of the waitress ran over him and paused, then moved away. There was no comfort to be found in this place, or these people, even if he had been one of them. But some undefined itch kept him waiting in the shadows. A sense that something was waiting to happen. 

In the dusty back hallway leading to the restrooms, Karlin stumbled and fell to her knees. She knew she was drunk, and that she should have left hours ago. Why do I do this to myself, she wondered, but she knew the answer. Anything was better than another long night alone in her empty apartment. Grasping for the rusty banisters of the old staircase to her right, she nearly cried aloud as an ice-cold hand gripped her just below the elbow and effortlessly pulled her to her feet. 

"Thank you," she sputtered, bloodshot eyes trying to focus on the face half-hidden by the shadows. "Come!" said an hypnotically imperious whisper which seemed to echo in her ears. "No," she replied, even as her feet moved of their own accord to carry her closer to the tall figure. A pair of bright red eyes glowed fiercely in the darkness, as she pressed herself up against him. She shuddered and twitched, like a frightened rabbit, as a sudden instinct told her to run, but she barely had time to gasp and jolt backwards before sharp pain struck her in the neck and she sank down into the iron arms confining her. Ecstasy flooded her senses, causing her to groan softly: a slow murmuring sound that soon choked itself as she sank down into unconsciousness, and then down even further into death itself. 

Jason's head jerked upright as his senses were assaulted with the smell of fresh blood. A sense of satisfaction, even triumph flooded him, then was gone as quickly as it had come. Confusion filled his gauntly-carved features for a moment, then resolved into grim certainty as understanding came. The feelings had not been his own. Another hunter stalked the shadows tonight. Another hunter had found a kill. 

He thrust aside the detestable cheap wine. Pulling his overcoat around him, he slipped out of the bar and into the night. It wasn't his business, he told himself. But the taint of that brief mental contact continued to haunt him as he moved swiftly through the darkened streets. It had tasted like filth - coldly purely evil. Could he just walk away? Let it roam free without intervention? The questions followed him home to his black-curtained bedroom, and settled down with him as he drifted into the breathless slumber of the dead. 

**6:00 am March 17**

FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder stood staring down at the chalk-lined spot where the young woman's body had so recently been found. Only the white specks of chalk and a few dribbled spots of blood remained to mark the ignominious end of a human life. The victim, Karlin Walters, had been totally drained of blood through two puncture wounds in her jugular vein. She was the fifth such victim in the last five days, all within a six square mile block of Washington, D.C. 

The tall, slender man slipped gracefully to his knees, reaching out to finger one spot of dried blood. His hazel eyes turned dark as he focused almost breathless attention on the small brown dust coating his sensitive fingertip. Willing it to speak to him - to give him the answers he sought. 

"Mulder?" The soft, throaty voice of his partner broke his concentration. The lines in his brow smoothed as he angled his head up to meet her calm blue eyes. As always, just seeing her was enough to warm his soul. 

"Just thinking, Scully." he replied, leaping back to his feet. "I don't suppose anyone saw anything," he stated, not bothering to make a question of it. 

Scully shook her head, causing a wing of auburn hair to fall across her cheek. "No one saw or heard anything. Not that they'd be likely to say if they had." 

Mulder nodded. "Not in this neighborhood." He took one last glance around them, then placed his hand on the small of her back, urging her ahead of him down the hall. "There's nothing for us here. You'd better see to the autopsy. Maybe we'll get lucky and our vampiric friend was careless." 

"Vampiric? Mulder!" Scully protested, although she couldn't help the soft smile that lit her face. 

Mulder grinned back down at her as they walked together through the deserted bar. "Don't tell me a nice Irish Catholic girl like you doesn't believe in vampires." 

"Okay, I won't," replied Scully, as she reached up to finger the small gold cross she always wore around her neck. She wasn't completely certain why she wore it, except that it had been a gift from her mother. It simply felt right. Still... Her face settled into a grim certainty. 

"There's no reason to suspect anything more than a perfectly human killer. It won't be the first time we've run across one with a taste for blood," she quietly reminded him. 

Mulder's eyes darkened, his jaw clenched. 

He nodded. 

Silence fell between them as they walked out of the bar and into the bright red glow of sunrise. 

**5:45 pm March 17**

Sunset. 

Jason felt the hunger as soon as he woke. He would have to feed tonight, and the thought made him angry. Normally he could wait for at least one more night before he felt the need growing in the pit of his belly like a rabid cancer. But the presence of the other vampire and its constant, uncontrolled thirst was tearing at his nerves. Fiercely he clamped down on his emotions, showering and dressing automatically, hardly aware of his own movements. 

He could sense her even before she turned the corner. The beating of her heart rang loudly in his ears. The rush of her blood through her veins was louder than a raging waterfall. The smell of human flesh and blood was overpowering to his preternaturally enhanced senses. He was so hungry. The need for the blood ate at him. It weakened his limbs, controlled his thoughts, drove him before it like a feather in the wind. 

Blood. 

Before she even knew what had hit her, he was driving her down into the pavement, sinking sharp teeth deep into her flesh, tearing out chunks of flesh and tossing them aside, devouring the thick red essence as it flowed into his mouth and down his throat. 

Blood. 

**11:00 pm March 17**

Motionless in the shadows, Jason watched the police scurry around the crime scene. Almost against his own will he'd been called to the murder site. As much as he had tried to deny it, the other vampire's blood lust was nearly overpowering. He wondered what the police would do, if they found out the real cause of these deaths. He stifled a bitter laugh, these human fools had no chance at stopping this killer, even if they had any notion of what he truly was. Nothing could stop this killer but another of his own kind. 

Jason shivered at that thought. He refused to consider himself the same kind as this animal. He wanted no part of it. There were plenty of places to go, he told himself. There were no ties binding him to this city, perhaps it was time for him to leave. He started to move away, footsteps silent in the shadows. 

But before he could take more than a few steps, the headlights of a car forced him to pull back against the wall, melding back into the darkness. 

Mulder didn't even bother trying to park the car. He pulled it up behind a police unit in the middle of the street, Scully leaping out of her door almost before the car had come to a complete halt. Her partner was only seconds behind her. Flashing badges at the uniformed officer guarding the scene, they pushed their way through the busy activity of the crime scene. 

"Agent Mulder, Agent Scully, over here." An older, gray-haired woman in a brown raincoat gestured to them. 

"Thanks for calling us so quickly, Captain," Scully said. 

"We can use all the help we can get right now." Captain Ellie Matthews frowned. "Six corpses in six nights. We've got to get this bastard." 

Mulder nodded. "Can we see the body?" 

"Yeah, sure. Right here," she led them over to where a pair of officers were loading a black-bagged form onto a stretcher. At the Captain's signal, one pulled back the zipper then stepped aside to let the two federal agents take a look. Scully stared at it intently, noting the similarities to the previous cases, immediately slipping into her professional mode. 

Mulder took one quick mental photograph, then stepped back out of his partner's way. This was her department, and despite his years of experience with violent death - or more likely because of those experiences - he preferred to let her handle it. 

Jason watched the tall, graceful man and his female companion race from their car. Light from a flashlight reflected off their badges. The woman was small, dressed in a tan overcoat over a dark-blue suit and matching high- heeled shoes. Her hair was a strikingly rich auburn and in the semi-darkness, her skin glowed a clear milky-white. Jason found his eyes tracking her every movement. Even running, she was elegant and regal. Confident and controlled. He had a sudden image of her dressed in an eighteenth century ball-gown and nearly gasped aloud with desire. Her throat would be soft and lovely, sweet and scented. Her pulse would race below a thin layer of satiny skin as he tasted the sweetness of her blood. 

"No!" He silently chastised himself. Such dreams could prove to be a deadly mistake. Perhaps not to him, but inevitably to her. He could never take such a risk again. She must remain beyond his touch, a desire as dangerous as the sunlight itself. Tearing his eyes off her lovely face as it frowned in concentration, Jason focused his attention on her dark-clad male partner, who was standing behind her, hands in the pockets of his black coat, eyes heavy-lidded, face shuttered and distant. Jason closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. He brushed the edge of the woman's thoughts...Dana....her name was Dana Scully. Her thoughts were sharp and focused, coolly analytical, colored only by a slight tinge of worry. 

"We have to stop him soon," she was thinking as she turned to glance up at her companion. Jason flew up with her towards the dark-haired man whose name was Mulder. Yes, Fox Mulder. 

Red-tinged brown eyes shot open wide, as Jason found his mind assaulted by a blazing, focused intellect. There was a spark of recognition, a sense of shocked awareness. Jason broke the connection abruptly and froze. Somehow this man had felt Jason's psychic touch. Already he was pacing in this direction like a wolf on the prowl. He moved gracefully and purposefully, head held high. The flash of the police photographer's camera caught his face, freezing it in full focus for one brief second before returning it to the darkness. 

Dark bangs shading a high forehead, bright green- tinged diamond eyes, generous mouth, carved bones and hollowed cheeks: it couldn't be. Jason shuddered as he was lost in a cascade of memories. He saw a woman with long black hair rippling down her shoulders, red lips and dancing hazel eyes. Brilliant laughter echoed through his mind as one soft word escaped his lips, followed by a choking sob. 

"Maria." 

But Jason had been both hunter and prey for too many long years to let his pain dull him to the dangers of the moment. He could not allow himself to be caught. Focusing every bit of his strength, he broadcast an hypnotic psychic echo: 

"There's no one here....no one here....no one here..." 

The ancient vampire watched with relief as the man who bore such a striking resemblance to his long-dead love pulled back in confusion. 

"Mulder, what is it?" Scully tugged at his arm. 

"I don't know Scully," Mulder replied, glancing around him again, then he focused down on her anxious face. 

"I'm okay," he reassured her. "I suddenly felt like I was being watched. But the feeling's gone now. Maybe I'm just tired." Scully nodded. She knew he rarely slept. It was a wonder he wasn't tired more often. On the other hand, Mulder's instincts had a tendency to be uncannily correct. He hadn't earned the nickname "Spooky" for nothing. 

"Maybe, but it wouldn't be unusual for a serial killer to come back to watch the crime scene. Perhaps we should set up a more thorough search of the area," she suggested. 

"Why not? It certainly couldn't hurt. We're a little short on leads right now." Mulder frowned, biting at his lower lip. "Look, why don't you go ahead with the body and get started on the autopsy. I'll stick around here for a while. See if I can find anything." 

"Okay. But be careful. Please." 

"I will." He promised. She stared intently at him for a moment, blue eyes direct and uncompromising. 

"I will," he repeated, reaching out to stroke her cheek ever so gently. 

"I'll meet up with you at the hospital." He smiled and walked past her. 

She watched him for a moment, then turned and followed the stretcher into the ambulance. 

**1:30 am March 18**

Mulder walked through the darkened streets, his awareness of his surroundings slipping as he concentrated on the details of the case. His pace picked up until he was nearly jogging, flashlight held out in front of him, one small portion of his mind using the circular field of light as a guide to keep him moving without stumbling. The remainder of his awareness was centered on a vivid slideshow of images. Each crime scene, each body, each set of puncture wounds, each page of the autopsy reports, it all ran over and over in front of his inwardly-focused eyes. So intent was he on finding the key to the puzzle of these deaths, he lost track of time, of space, of direction. 

A sudden screeching of tires broke his concentration and jolted Mulder back to awareness of his surroundings. He peered anxiously around him as he realized he had no idea where he was. Across the street stretched an old, abandoned warehouse with jagged broken glass windows and graffiti-covered boards barring the doors. On his side of the street were a series of ancient brick apartment buildings with sagging stoops, barred windows, and broken shingles on the roofs. 

The car that had brought him back to awareness was already just a memory, leaving an almost unnatural silence behind it. Mulder felt for reassuring presence of the gun holstered to his waist and pivoted on his heels to return the way he had come, in the hope of finding his way back to his car without trouble. Scully would be furious with him if she found out he'd wandered off on his own again. 

For a while Mulder was able to move along without incident, although he was beginning to get a little worried that he couldn't find anything familiar to guide himself by. One run-down warehouse followed another. And he just couldn't quite avoid the nagging feeling that he was being watched. A shiver ran up the back of his spine as he turned a corner. 

"Hey, man!" Two young teenagers, dressed in matching black leather jackets and jeans blocked the tall agent's path. They had appeared out of the shadows in seconds, and now stood inches apart, shoulder to shoulder, baring their teeth at him in menacing smiles. One had long blond hair that he wore loose over his shoulders. The other had black hair gelled into large spikes sticking up from his scalp. 

"Hello, Can I help you?" he replied politely, eyes alert to their every motion, pointing the flashlight at their chests. 

The blond one laughed. "Sure, how about handing it over?" 

"Hand what over?" Mulder kept his voice calm and even, while every nerve in his body tensed and his right hand moved ever so slowly towards his gun. 

"Your money...give it to us!" The demand was spoken amidst giggles, as they balanced themselves on their toes, eyes wild. The spike-haired one swung a long- knife in a low arc back and forth, almost teasingly. 

Mulder froze in place for a second, then in one swift movement shot the beam of the flashlight into their eyes and drew his gun. 

"Federal Agent, don't move!" 

But before he could bring the gun up to an even level, a sudden intense pain shattered the back of his head as he was struck from behind with an iron rod. Crying aloud in agony, he crumpled to the ground. 

A third teenager stepped over the unconscious man and grinned at his companions. "Come on, let's get his stuff and get out of here. These guys usually work in pairs." 

"Nice gun," the blond one said, kneeling down to pick it up. He balanced it in his hand, then aimed it out across the street. "BANG BANG BAaaaaaa!" His voice rose in a shriek as a cold hand closed around his upper right arm from behind and lifted him off his feet. He flew up through the air then dropped, screaming as he hit the pavement with a dull thud. 

"What the hell!" yelled the third kid, brandishing the iron bar as he peered into the shadows. But he was struck from behind, as a powerful force threw him off his feet sending him up in a slow arc, then bringing him down to earth to lie in a broken heap on the ground. 

The spike-haired teen pulled back, terrified, as he looked up into a pair of bright red eyes shining out of the night. Below them glittered a pair of white fangs, set in a deathly pale face. Not a sound escaped from the boy's lips as he turned and raced down the street, feet slipping and sliding underneath him as he tried to escape. But he was not fast enough. 

Jason grabbed the boy by his shirt and lifted him off the ground, holding him suspended in the air. The light from Mulder's flashlight threw an eerie yellow glow onto the vampire's pale features, turning the red glow of his eyes into a phosphorescent orange. The panic-stricken would-be thief found his voice and drawing a deep, final breath, let loose a horrific shriek. Jason chuckled, still holding the boy suspended in mid air with one hand. With a quick twist of his wrist, he lowered him to the ground and sank pointed teeth into soft flesh of the neck, unerringly finding the jugular vein. The vampire sighed with pleasure as the blood ran down his throat and spread through his body, simultaneously easing and sharpening the hunger. He drank for long, joyous minutes. Then he thrust the body aside with a cry that was a mixture of frustration and satisfaction. Enough. He would NOT kill, not even these animals. The three would give him enough blood between them. In a blink of an eye, he was bending over one of the others, drawing out the thick, sweet fluid from his veins. And then the third, lifting the head and tearing into the throat with a sigh of pleasure. 

Mulder moaned and clutched at the back of his head, the concrete cold and hard against his face. His hand came away sticky and wet, as he fought against the nausea that threatened to overwhelm him. His eyes blinked, focused on the flashlight beam which illuminated a patch of the dirty sidewalk, then slowly closed as his vision blurred. 

"Take it easy," a soft unfamiliar whisper sounded in his ear as Mulder found himself gathered up like a child into a pair of iron-strong arms. Wounded and in pain, Mulder leaned back gratefully into the warmth of the embrace, his eyes still unable to focus on the face that hovered over his. "Who?" his voice was barely audible. 

"Shhhh." Again the soft whisper in his ear, as a strong arm braced his shoulders and gentle fingers stroked his brow, then moved back to explore the damage to the back of his head. Mulder jerked in sudden agony as those steady fingertips probed the sensitive, still-bleeding wound, closing his eyes and slipping back towards the easy darkness. He was hardly aware of the hand which supported the side of his head, holding him still as the other leaned down to lick at the wound. Mulder was only aware of a slow easing of pain and a growing sense of comfort and peace. 

"You are safe...go to sleep...safe....sleep...safe...sleep..." Words of reassurance echoed in Mulder's still-blurred mind, slowly but steadily drawing him into a gentle slumber. 

Jason watched the sleeping mortal cradled in his arms with eyes that glowed like the embers of a dying fire. His saliva had closed the tear in the scalp, but there was a large swollen lump forming that Jason could do nothing to prevent. He traced the line of Fox's jaw with a delicate finger-tip, then swept the dark bangs back off his forehead, marveling at the extraordinary likeness to his beloved Maria. Even the slight taste of this man's blood had been excruciatingly sweet. As diluted as it was, the trace of her bloodline was clear and vivid on his tongue. 

Memories flooded him, bringing equal amounts of joy and sorrow. He remembered the many long nights of joy. Love and laughter echoing in the air. The smell of her, the taste of her. The fire in her dark eyes. The same eyes that had stared up at him, lost in hurt confusion, from this man's face. And that image brought with it the sorrow of the very last night he'd spent by her bedside, those long centuries ago... 

"Jason...love, promise me," Maria's voice was thin and shaky. Her milky-white skin was mottled with sweat. 

"No, Maria. Let me help you. We can be together for always." He insisted, unable to keep the note of pleading out of his voice.

"No, I cannot, do not ask me again. I will not kill to live. Jason, please, you must help my child. Promise me you will always protect him." Her voice rose in desperation, as she grasped onto her lover's arm with surprising strength. "Promise me!" Her strength fled as quickly as it had come, and she fell back against the pillows with a sob. But her eyes remained adamant and demanding. "Jason!" 

He tried to evade her gaze, but he was drawn back to it again and again. Finally, he nodded. He had never been able to refuse her anything before, how could he now, when she was on what would certainly become her deathbed. 

"Promise me!" 

"I promise, Maria," he whispered to her, leaning over to kiss her lips ever so softly. As he watched, she gave smile that was only an echo of its former glory, then closed her eyes and sank down with a sigh. 

"Maria!" Jason urged her to hold on, to fight to stay with him, but she was gone. He filled the room with a keening cry, then fell to floor by the bed, burying his head in his hands. 

The cry disturbed the newborn sleeping in its crib in the corner and it began to wail, Jason felt over to stand looking down at the tiny-red-skinned morsel of humanity and his pain and rage built to a crescendo. This... thing had killed his Maria. Her life had been sacrificed to create this discordant, ugly creature, solely to satisfy her arrogant husband's ego. It should be the one dead, not her. Without thinking he reached to crush the puny neck, but as his hand touched its flesh, Maria's demand echoed in his mind. Anger warred with honor, love with pain, causing his slender frame to shake like a leaf in the wind. Finally, he snatched his hand away and with one last burning glance at the dead woman on the bed, he nearly flew out the open window... 

The shifting of the body in his arms, as the sleeping man murmured and twisted in his dreams, brought Jason back to the present. The vampire shuddered under the onslaught of ancient anguish and long-held guilt. He had never kept his promise to Maria, finding the sight of the child that had cost his beloved her life in its birthing too painful to bear. Instead, he had fled the country, wandering the earth like a shadow, never touching, never staying, never again connecting with another human life. Until now. 

Now, he had been handed a chance to fulfill the promise he'd made and then betrayed. This child of his beloved, who bore her eyes, her intellect, and her beauty, would be his way to at long last give Maria her dying wish. Protecting this child - this man - would be his atonement for all the mistakes of his seemingly endless and empty past. 

Footsteps and the smell of mortal flesh caught Jason's attention and he carefully carried the still-unaware Mulder back against the metal fence. Resting his precious burden carefully on the ground, he melted swiftly and silently into the shadows, closing in on the approaching figures. Tensed to attack, he drew back in relief as he saw the glitter of gold badges on blue uniforms. Police. Jason remained motionless and alert, hidden in the darkness, as the officers reacted to the sight of four bodies laying awkwardly across the sidewalk and street. 

**3:45 am March 18**

"I'm okay!" Mulder told Scully, his voice tinged with irritation, brushing her hand off his forehead. 

She glared down at him, still dressed in surgical greens, her red hair tied back in a knot, glasses sitting on the tip of her nose. Through the lenses, her eyes were a deep, clear blue, presently narrowed in annoyance. 

"You went off on you own again, didn't you?" she asked. He avoided her eyes for a moment, then sighed. "I was thinking. Somehow I got separated from the others." He shrugged. "Then I got a little lost. I would have found my way back sooner or later." 

"In the worst part of town you wander off, get lost, and then get yourself mugged, all at the same time a serial killer is operating in the same area. Mulder, sometimes I wonder whether you have a death wish, or are just plain stupid. What happened to those vaunted brains of yours?" 

"I'm sorry!" he replied plaintively, meeting her eyes with the liquid green-brown of his. "I just lost track of where I was going."

She looked at him for a moment, sighed, the gave him one more fierce stare. "Do it again and I'll be the one hitting you on the head. And don't think that those puppy-dog eyes of yours are going to get you off the hook. Now sit still and let me take a look at your head." 

"Yes, Doctor," he answered meekly, glancing up at her under heavy eyelashes, the corners of his mouth beginning to turn upwards in relief. She hadn't been as mad as he'd feared. 

"OUCH!" Or was she? 

"I said, hold still." 

"I am!" Mulder grimaced as her strong fingers probed the sore scalp on the crown of his head for a minute. 

"Hmmm....this doesn't look right. Are you sure you didn't do this a few days ago?" she asked. 

"What? Of course, I'm sure, Scully. I got hit on the head tonight. I'm not likely to forget something like that, even if I was lucky enough to forget anything at all." 

"You have serious wound here, and it's going to create quite a sizable lump, but the gash itself looks like it's a couple of days old. The skin is already beginning to scab over." 

"That can't be. Are you sure?" he asked, eyes widening in surprise as he automatically reached up his hand to poke at the area, wincing as he hit a sore spot. 

"Hands off," she insisted. "And, yes, I'm sure. I know the difference between a new wound and an old one. Sit still a minute, I want to take a couple samples from you." She moved away to open a drawer and pull out a box of microscope slides, some swabs, and a couple small bottles. 

"Samples?" Mulder frowned. He hated it when doctors said things like that, and hated it even more from Scully. It usually meant he was going to be uncomfortable for a while, or worse. 

"Yes, just from your skin in this area," she responded, moving back towards him swabs in hand. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, looking like a child about to be punished. She almost laughed. "Take it easy, Mulder. I swear, for a man who handles aliens, monsters and serial killers with ease, you're like a two-year-old when it comes to simple medical procedures." 

"That's because medical procedures are more painful. OUCH!" He jerked his head away. 

"Relax, I'm done. And it wasn't that bad." 

"That's what you say," he said, giving her the full benefit of his pout: trembling lower lip and moist wide brown eyes. She felt her stomach react - or is it another part of your anatomy, Dana - she chided herself. But she still couldn't help leaning over to kiss him gently on the forehead. "Why don't you lie down for a moment while I take these down to the lab." 

He flashed a bright grin and leaned up to snatch a quick kiss from her lips. "No, I'm fine, really. I'll go with you." She looked at him for a moment, then sighed, "Okay, come on." 

Together they walked down the hall and into the lab. 

Mulder perched himself on the end of the lab bench and watched his partner fill out the lab analysis request forms. As he so often did, he found himself in awe at her beauty and her strength. He didn't even want to imagine what his life would be without her. He'd come to close to that once before, and the memory still terrified him. 

"So, tell me the rest of what happened," her voice broke into his thoughts. 

"I was walking down the street," he answered. "Two of the punks suddenly stepped out in front of me. I had them covered, Scully, but apparently there was a third one behind me. I remember getting hit on the back of the head, then it kind of goes blank." He grimaced with the pain of the memory. "I think I heard a scream, and I woke up on the sidewalk. It's really hazy, but I think someone picked me up and held me." He stared off into space, his brow creased in concentration. "I recall being lifted off the sidewalk, and someone whispering to me, reassuring me." 

His eyes glazed as a sudden image flashed into his mind. "There was a face, but with something not quite right about it. The eyes." his voice tightened with certainty as he turned to look at her. "The eyes were bright red. They glowed."  
"Red? Mulder!" She lifted her head to look at him skeptically. 

"I know how it sounds, but I'm sure of it. Whoever he was, he had red eyes. And the most hypnotic voice. It was like I could hear him in my head. He told me I was safe and that I should go to sleep. So I did. I just fell asleep. I woke up when the police got there." 

"You were hit on the head, and probably have a concussion. Chances are you just dreamt it. This case is enough to give anyone nightmares." 

"I wasn't dreaming, Scully," he protested. "Besides, don't forget that all three of my muggers were drained of blood - in exactly the same way as our previous victims." Mulder shook his head, "I admit that doesn't make much sense: they don't fit the profile of his victims, and they were left alive. And I wasn't harmed at all. In fact, it was more like he was protecting me." "Maybe he just got scared off by the police before he had a chance to attack you. It must have taken some time to drain the other three." Scully suggested, fitting another slide into a small plastic box. 

"No, I'm certain that he didn't mean me any harm. I think he was trying to protect me, Scully. He held me like you'd hold an infant. It just doesn't fit with the rest of the crimes. Unless..." Mulder leaped up and started pacing the room, hands clasped behind his back. Scully briefly glanced at him, instantly recognizing the familiar focused look on his face and the lilt in his voice. Here it comes, she thought. 

"It's too much coincidence to believe that the one who drained the gang members of blood and my rescuer were two different people: that street is hardly Grand Central station. Yet, the one who saved me tonight was not our serial killer, I'm sure of it. He was too kind to me, and so far our murderer has killed only once every night, and it has always been young women. So..." he grinned , "It looks like we may have two vampires active in our fair city tonight." 

"Mulder," Scully responded with exasperation, frowning into the microscope. "There's no proof we have one vampire, much less two. We have a killer whose M.O. is to drain the blood of his victims through two puncture wounds in their throats. You and your muggers just happened to get in his way, and he was working his way through all of you, when the police arrived and forced him to run away. Your mysterious friend was probably just a vivid dream, after all you did take a serious knock on the head." She glared pointedly at him. 

"That doesn't explain why this time the 'victims' were left alive. Or why the blood drain was significantly less," he argued. 

"Maybe he felt he had plenty to take with all four of you, and was spacing it out." Scully looked up and met his disbelieving expression. "Okay, maybe not. But I find it hard to believe that we have two people running around draining blood from people, and that's even more likely than that we have two vampires running around, one killing people, and the other saving foolish federal agents from muggings." She stared at him pointedly. 

He grinned unabashedly at her and shrugged his shoulders. "I know, but I'm still certain that whoever had those kids for dinner tonight was not planning to hurt me." His expression turned grim. "I just wish we had more answers and less questions. What did the autopsy tell you?" 

"Not much." she frowned, pushing a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "The same as all the others. We did get a saliva sample this time, though, which may give us a blood type if we're lucky." 

"I wonder." he mused. 

"What?" she asked, putting the forms in the proper bins. 

Mulder's eyes flashed with excitement. "About my wound healing so quickly. I've read that vampire saliva is supposed to have a strong coagulant in it, with unusual healing properties." 

"Mulder, you're reaching." 

"I know. I know." He ran a hand through his hair, wincing as he hit the sore spot. "Look, let's let the lab analyze these while we get some sleep. It's almost dawn, and I'm beginning to feel like a vampire myself." He stretched lazily and yawned. Scully suddenly noticed just how exhausted she was, which only made her more concerned about him. 

"You certainly live like one. But at least you've finally come up with a sensible idea." 

"I've got plenty of sensible ideas, Scully. Come home with me and I'll show you a few." He grinned. 

She found herself smiling back, but shook her head. "I'll take a rain check. We'd never get any sleep, and right now, I haven't the energy." 

"I'll hold you to that," he said. 

"You'd better," she answered softly, leaning up to brush his lips gently. He gathered her into his arms and kissed her deeply, then withdrew with a slight sigh. Putting his arm around her waist, he guided her through the door. 

**4:30 am March 18**

He stood on the sidewalk, sniffing the air. Yes, he could smell the blood and the fear. Another had fed here this very night. He growled at the air, pacing back and forth, round and round. Who dared to trespass on his hunting ground? He had felt the hunger, the anger, the taste of the blood as it raced down the other's throat. The satisfaction of the kill, and yet it had been so incomplete. Something had been missing from the other's triumph. What? 

The tall, thin, black-cloaked figure knelt to the ground and fingered the pavement, opening his senses. Could it be? The other had fed, but not killed. He had taken their life's blood, but had left the prey alive. The vampire leaned his head back and crowed at the setting moon. The other was no challenge. He was weak. Only a fool would let the food get up to walk away, only a coward would fear bringing death as he was destined to do. The other did not deserve the great dark gift he had been given, he was unclean, still tainted by human frailty. Easily disposed of. 

But perhaps we should play for a while first, he thought. It had been a long time since he had confronted another of his own kind. It would be fun to see how long this impotent excuse for a vampire would last. It would be a welcome diversion. He yawned and stretched, every sense attuned to the soon arising dawn. If he was quick, there might be just enough time to start the game. 

Jason stood on the sidewalk, looking down at the driver's license in his hand. The address was correct. He had found Maria's child's home. He stepped up close to the door-buzzers and found the right name and number. Good. He had to find a way to keep the boy out of trouble, but it was not going to be easy. He doubted this Fox was going to abandon his work on a stranger's word, or that he'd believe he was facing a real vampire unless Jason proved it to him - something Jason had no intention of doing. But the mortal had no chance against the deadly vampire he was unknowingly hunting, only death awaited at the end of his search. Jason would not let that happen. 

Sighing, the small, delicately-boned vampire leaned back against the door. Perhaps his only choice was to try to drive out, or destroy, the other. But he had sensed the murderer's strength. It was built on madness and bloodlust, fired by the faith of the insane. Jason was not sure he could win. Though perhaps losing was not so bad an option. After almost six hundred years of life, dying to keep his promise to the one true love of his long life had a certain appeal. He ran a pale hand through long sand-colored hair, and smiled at himself. Enough self-pity. He hadn't survived so long to give up now. He would find a way to keep his promise and live. 

"Ssstill hungry?" a soft whisper echoed in Jason's ear. He leapt forward and spun around. No one there, but he could hear light, mocking laughter floating in the breeze. 

"Who are you?" he demanded, standing erect and still on the steps. 

"I am the shadow hunter. The dark one. The blood- drinker." The words seemed to circle Jason, but he refused to play along, not moving a single, tensed muscle. "Who are you, who dares to trespass in my domain?" 

Jason forced himself to let out an unconcerned laugh. "By who's authority is this your domain?" 

"By my own authority, weakling." A sharp, bitterly- cold gust of wind blew across Jason, blowing long strands of badly-cut hair into his eyes. 

"Weakling?" Jason goaded his still unseen adversary. "You're the one who is too afraid to show himself. Come out, come out, wherever you are." His silken, cultured voice sang out into the night. 

"You will be the one afraid, little one, when I am finished with you." In a blink of an eye, a dark figure suddenly appeared in front of Jason, towering over him, even though it was standing on a lower step. Jason looked up calmly, though his eyes widened in shock. The other's face was jagged and scarred. Puckered white lines ran from the corners of both eyes across the cheekbones and down to the edges of the large, grim mouth. The eyes were still faintly pink, shadowed under large, thrusting eyebrows. The nose was huge and misshapen. The skin was mottled beneath a deathly pallor. 

"No wonder you don't want anyone to see you. You're the ugliest brute I've ever laid eyes on in all my years," Jason spoke up in an easy conversational voice even as he began to move around the other vampire, taking his turn to walk in a circle. "Enough! You will leave or I will destroy you. I will not give you a second chance." Jason could tell his barbs were beginning to score. He paced in a little closer. 

"A bit melodramatic aren't we tonight? Sorry to disappoint you, but I have no intention of going anywhere. And I'm hardly afraid of you." Jason laughed again, a light trickle of sound that pushed the arrogant, insane vampire over the edge. Growling with rage he rushed at Jason, picking him up and throwing him up into the air and over a car parked on the curb. 

The smaller vampire groaned as he hit the pavement on his behind and bounced. He knew the only chance he had was to make his opponent so angry that he made a stupid mistake, but he was beginning to wonder if he himself had already made a deadly mistake. But there was no time to start second guessing now. A split second after he struck the ground, Jason leapt to his feet, then dived over the car to meet the bigger vampire in mid-air. 

They clawed at each other, floating a few feet of the ground for a few long seconds. Jason's eyes glowed red, his long nails glitteringly translucent as he struck again and again, twisting to avoid the blows aimed for his face, eyes, and neck. Finally, they tumbled down, Jason crashing down on top of his adversary. Lost in fury, he bit down into the parchment-like skin of the other vampire's shoulder, crying in triumph as blood spurted into his mouth. But before he could take another bite, his head was snapped back so hard by a hand tangled in his scalp that it nearly broke his spine. He shook himself, and dug his fingers into the other's cheek, scraping the skin raw, then thrusting into the eyes. A scream of agony rent the air and Jason was tossed sideways like a rag doll. He felt his right arm go numb as he hit the side of the car with a crack. 

Before Jason could pull himself to his feet, he was suddenly lifted like a sack of potatoes and thrown several feet into the air towards the building. He hit the wall and crumbled to the ground, letting out an eerily resonant scream. Putting his hands up in an attempt to defend himself, eyes squinted shut in pain, he was assaulted by an unexpected sensation. Burning heat swept over his hands, his hair, his face, his skin. Dawn. The sun was rising. 

In that instant, the battle was over, it ended as abruptly as it had begun, both vampires' minds focused solely on escaping a far greater enemy than each other: the fierce, deadly rays of the rising sun. 

Drawing his coat as tightly around him as he could, Jason forced himself to his feet. Behind him, as he dived for the shadow of the doorway, he could hear the agonized screams of the other vampire as it fled down the street and into a dark alleyway. A small satisfaction, perhaps, but it gave him a burst of strength. He was still alive. Pressing upwards with a hand that was beginning to scorch from red to black, smoke-like steam rising from the incinerating flesh, he rang every buzzer, praying someone would open the door. Finally someone did, and he grabbed at the doorknob, wrenching it open with a violent burst of strength. One inside, he half-crawled, half-stumbled deeper into the building, a sobbing noise catching in his throat as he was, at last, able to escape the burning light. 

Eyelids nearly melted shut, he kept dragging himself along the floor deeper into the hallway, leaving a trail of ash and the bittersweet odor of charred flesh, until he reached the elevator. Finding the very last vestige of strength remaining in him, he fought his way to his feet, pressed the button, then almost fell into the small elevator. The third floor button was almost beyond his reach, but he found it, and when the car stopped and the doors open, he used his fingers to pull his body inch by inch into the hallway. A few feet past the elevator doors, he collapsed. His body jerked once, a faint whisper passing his swollen lips, then he lay motionless on the carpet. 

**5:45 am March 18**

Scully's nose twitched in revulsion as she and Mulder entered the elevator in his building. "Mulder it smells in here." "I know, Scully," Grimacing, Mulder pushed the third floor button then ran a weary hand across his eyes. "Doesn't look like there was a fire, someone must have had a problem with his oven." 

"No, this smells like burning human flesh." she replied looking around her with narrowed eyes. 

"You're kidding!" 

"I'm a pathologist, Mulder, I know the difference. I don't like this." She glanced anxiously at him, then at the floor indicator, wishing they had taken the stairs instead. 

Mulder shivered. He hated anything to do with fire. It made him feel sick. And he wasn't exactly feeling his best to start with, his head felt like someone was pounding on it with a hammer. He jabbed at the third floor button, knowing it wouldn't help, but needing to do something. 

"God, I hope you're wrong." 

"Me, too," she said doubtfully as the car finally settled and the door opened. Gratefully Mulder entered the hallway, only to stop abruptly causing Scully to nearly crash into his back. 

"What?" she said, but he was already dashing down the hall to kneel by a figure lying a few feet from his door.  
She took off after him, sliding to a stop beside him, eyes opening wide in shock. A man was lying sideways on the carpet, his charred hand stretched upwards towards Mulder's door, his clothes nearly burnt into his skin which was still giving off what appeared to be steam. The flesh was literally bubbling. Blocking her nose automatically, she reached out with her other hand to touch Mulder's shoulders. 

"I'll go call for ambulance!" 

Mulder nodded agreement, remaining bent over the man's scorched body. Hands trembling in mid-air, he desperately wanted to help, but was uncertain what to do. He was afraid even the touch of his hand would be more of an agony than this man could bear. 

"Take it easy, we'll get help. Help is on the way!" Mulder whispered soothingly while Scully stepped over the trembling body and unlocked the door. 

Light from Mulder's open window filtered straight through the apartment, a few rays darting across the scene. As a couple hit the man's burnt flesh it began to steam even more. A keening sob of excruciating agony escaped his swollen lips and he pushed away, burying his head in his arms to protect himself. Above him, Mulder's eyes opened wide as a sudden flash of intuition struck. Despite the extreme damage, he recognized that face, those red-tinged eyes. Realization of what must have happened hit him, and he jolted upright. 

"Close the shutters, Scully!" he yelled, leaping over the body to race into the apartment and grab her arm away from the phone. 

"What? Mulder! We have to get an ambulance here, that man..." 

"He's a vampire, Scully, and it's the sunlight that's killing him. Grab that blanket. We need to block out all the light." Mulder struggled with the blinds for a moment, finally pulling them as tightly shut as possible. 

"Mulder, don't be ridiculous, that man is badly burned, he needs immediate medical attention, now! This isn't time to be playing games!" Scully again reached for the phone. Mulder was faster, though, his hand closing down on her wrist. He swung her around to face him, his eyes glittering like diamonds in the shadowed room. 

"Scully, I know it sounds crazy, but vampires are real, and this one will suffer the torture of the dammed if we don't get him protection from the light. He's the one who saved my life tonight, or at least my wallet. I'm sure of it. I OWE him Scully. Please help me." 

"Mulder, this is insane." 

"Fine, I'm insane, now are you going to help me or not?" He replied still holding her wrist in a steel-grip, staring relentlessly down into her eyes. 

"Mulder, this man could die." 

"Technically he's already dead. Look, I know this sounds crazy but I'm certain. I just KNOW it. He cannot be exposed to any more sunlight. He needs darkness, sleep, and blood. Please, there isn't time to argue about this, just give me the benefit of the doubt for a while. If this doesn't help him, then you can call your ambulance!" 

"Mulder he's suffering. How can you even think to prolong it!" she yelled, gesturing angrily at the shivering figure lying just beyond the open apartment door. 

"I'm not the one prolonging it, you are!" His voice rose in frustration. "For once, can't you just trust me." 

"I do trust you, but..." Damn him, she thought, why did he always put her in situations like this? She glared at him in fury for a brief moment, teeth clenched, eyes glittering blue fire. She knew she was going to regret this, and she told him so. He just grinned with relief and pushed past her. 

"Here," he pulled a hammer and nails out of a tool drawer near the door. "Cover the windows with blankets, whatever you can find. I'll bring him in." Scully opened her mouth to protest, then gave an exaggerated sigh and took the hammer and nails from him. He was SO stubborn, why did she bother? 

While she grabbed a blanket off the couch and clambered up on the desk to hammer it over the window frame, Mulder went back to the wounded vampire. He stared down at the burned body for a moment, then raced back into the apartment to find another blanket. He came back into the hallway and as gently as he could wrapped it around the burnt flesh. Then, as quickly as he could, gritting his teeth at the cry of pain it induced, he picked up the smaller man's body and carried him into the now pitch- black apartment and, knowing his way unerringly in the familiar room, deposited his burden on the couch, eliciting another moan of pain. 

Scully finished hammering the last corner in place and reached for a lamp, throwing a stream of artificial light into the room. She put the hammer down on the desk and stepped over behind Mulder who was kneeling by the couch. 

"All right, what now," she said reluctantly, doubt, fear, and anger still boiling in her veins. If anyone but Mulder had suggested this... 

"We've got to feed him," Mulder replied, freeing the head, and supporting it with a pillow. 

"Feed him?" Scully stepped back as the meaning finally hit her. "Mulder, you're not serious." 

"I'm perfectly serious," he glanced back at her, then looked back at the barely conscious blood-drinker, considering his options. The vampire was in no condition to initiate anything. Maybe it would be reflexive, and there was no reason Mulder could think of why it had to be from the neck. He pressed his wrist against the mouth for a few moments but nothing happened. 

Scully finally had had it. "Enough, Mulder, I'm calling an ambulance." 

"No, I'll just have to break the skin for him. He grabbed for a sharp-edged letter opener on the table and closing his eyes in anticipation, cut the skin of his wrist in one hard stroke. 

"Mulder!" Scully yelled, reaching out too late to stop him. He pushed her aside with the uncut arm, and turned to press his blood-oozing arm to the charred, swollen mouth. 

Jason shuddered. The scorching was so intense, he was unaware of anything except the agony that raced through every inch of his body. Every movement sent a new fire racing along his nerves, all firing at once in a symphony of pain. He shifted and moaned, shifted and sobbed. He was only faintly aware of the voices, of being lifted and carried, of being gently set down. He couldn't even smell the blood racing under the flesh that was pressed against his lips. A small part of him felt the need to drink, but it was lost in the roaring of the flames that consumed him, buried under the draining weakness that pulled him deeper into nothingness. 

Blood. The first trickle of it against his broiled lips, then another small trickle through his lips, running against his parched tongue. He shook, as the blood-lust abruptly rose and warred with the excruciating pain. Blood. He convulsed and clamped his mouth upon the blood-drenched flesh that was being insistently pressed into it. Soon, he was lost in the soothing flow of the thick, life-giving fluid down his throat. It spread in cooling waves throughout his body, driving the pain in front of it, like a tidal wave breaking a dam. He gulped and swallowed, finding the strength to reach up and clutch at the source. 

Mulder gasped and sank to the floor as he felt the blood drain form his arm, the vampire sucking it from his vein. A slow rush of warmth spread outward from the contact point of that mouth on his wrist, growing in intensity. He closed his eyes and moaned aloud in ecstasy, pressing his arm deeper into that glorious mouth, seeking even more of the pleasure that spiraled through his body. 

Scully watched helplessly, he hands clenching and unclenching at her sides. As Mulder collapsed to the floor, his head falling back, his eyes glazing over, she moved to grasp his shoulders. Her attempts to pull him away were resisted angrily, he almost growled at her, shoving her away with his free hand and leaning in closer to the burnt man suckling on his arm. Scully pulled herself back up and reached over to try again, but her hand froze in mid-air. 

Her mouth opened into a wide "O," as she watched the skin of the burnt man begin to bubble and change. Slowly, the burns began to recede, almost melting back into the tissue, which stretched and smoothed turning a pale white in spots, which spread and merged. Flakes of charred skin and hair fell off, to be replaced by skin as clear and clean as a baby's. His scorched hair fell off, and then was replaced, as silky dark-blond hair grew from his scalp at amazing speed until it reached his shoulders and stopped. 

"My God," she whispered, her hand feeling for, then clasping the cross at her neck. She remained on her knees, watching, eyes wide and blue, mouth trembling, skin turned pale with shock. It couldn't be. It just could not be. Hypnotized by the impossibility in front of her stunned eyes, she reached out a trembling hand and felt for the pulse in the man's throat. Nothing. She pressed harder. Nothing. She grabbed for his wrist and felt for the pulse there. Nothing. Panicking, she leaned over the groaning, barely conscious Mulder and pushed the palm of her hand against the man's chest. Still nothing.  
"Oh my God." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she backed up against the desk. He was dead. Dead and yet impossibly alive, suckling the blood from her partner's wrist. A vampire. Mulder was right. A real vampire! She stood there shaking, left hand still clasped around her small gold cross 

As the pain receded, Jason felt a warm glow build in his body, despite the irritating itch that crawled across his skin inch by inch. He could feel the healing blood as it trickled down his throat. He suckled joyfully at the source, savoring the sweetness, the familiarity of its taste. His eyes blinked, then opened as he slowly began to return to awareness. The first sensation was the horrible crawling of his still-repairing skin, the second was of the heated flesh clamped between his lips. 

As his eyes fully opened, he held onto the arm still oozing blood into his mouth and peered over at his donor who was curled up on the floor beside the couch, arm stretched out an awkward angle. Mulder's eyes were closed, heavy dark eyelashes fluttering against pale cheeks, his mouth half-open, the pulse beating fiercely, unevenly in his throat. 

"No!" Jason cried, his voice a hoarse, tortured imitation of its normally velvet tones. He forced Mulder's arm away from him his mouth angrily. This had to stop. He could all too easily take too much blood. He was hungry enough to drain the man dry, and he couldn't allow that to happen, especially not to this one: the one he was pledged to protect. 

Mulder moaned deep in his throat and thrust his arm back, unconsciously seeking a continuation of the incredible pleasure. "No!" Jason insisted again. He licked at the wound, carefully sealing it over, then thrust Mulder away. Mulder cried out again in protest, eyes opening halfway to subject Jason to a look of intense distress. The vampire shook as those eyes brought back a tidal-wave of memories, then twisted himself off the couch to draw the other man into a tight embrace. Mulder was wound up in a tight ball of misery, still unable to focus on his surrounding. Between the earlier assault, the shock, the exhaustion, the blood loss, the sudden unexpected gift and removal of intense physical ecstasy, he was lost. His mind was floating in a haze. Jason knew the symptoms well, and offered the only comfort he could, pulling the other man's head against his shoulder he crooned to him in a gentle sing-song while he rocked him in his arms. 

Scully had watched everything in a daze of her own, frozen in shock. She had no basis from which to deal with the situation confronting her. That was a real vampire. Her hand clenched so tightly around the cross that the bottom end pierced the skin of her hand, only barely noticing the discomfort. But she was trained to handle the unusual, and she and Mulder had been through some incredible experiences before. She took one deep breath after another, concentrating on the simple act. Breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out...better. You can cope with this Dana, she told herself determinedly. You will cope. One more deep breath and she felt ready to refocus on the situation in front of her. Okay, just accept that this is a real vampire - then go on from there, she told herself. First, you have a real vampire who had been seriously wounded. Second, this vampire obviously does not mean you immediate harm. In fact he was presently holding, comforting, her partner like a parent would soothe a hurt child. 

Again panic struck at her heart. Scully rushed over to grab Jason by the shoulder, pushing him back so she could look into Mulder's eyes. They were blank and unfocused. She'd seen that look once or twice before, and it terrified her. He was gone into the darkness. Worried, she looked up to meet Jason's eyes for the first time, but they weren't much better than Mulder's. In his case the glazed look was augmented by a deep red glow. Wonderful, she thought, they were both out of it, and she knew her own condition wasn't much better. She reached for the blanket and wrapped it tightly around them both. Then she leaned down to put her arms around both their shoulder's and hugged them tightly, sharing body heat and physical comfort. She was so tired, her mind seemed to dart from one thought to another, unable to focus. 

After a while, Mulder began to relax, as the warmth of the two people holding him between them began to penetrate his exhausted mind. He murmured and shifted, burying his head closer into Scully's chest and closing his eyes. Scully breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the tension drip away from his body as he drifted into slumber. 

Together the three of them huddled on the floor, arms entwined around each other. Scully closed her eyes and leaned her head against Mulder's shoulder, feeling Jason's hand tighten on her shoulder, including her in his embrace. As he began to drift into his long-overdue daytime coma, Scully reached out to stroke the silky regenerated hair that fell across the vampire's pale cheeks. She didn't know what was going to come of all this, but at least she and Mulder were still together. And while she didn't know where the feeling came from, she felt a warm affection for the extraordinary stranger who had burst into their lives. 

**4:50 pm March 18**

The vampire was stretched out on the couch where Mulder had placed him after he and Scully had awakened in the early afternoon. He lay motionless, un-breathing and silent. Scully kept checking for a pulse, the rise and fall of the lungs, something to indicate that life was still there. But he appeared dead, his skin cold and clammy to the touch. Mulder insisted that he was not really dead, just in a kind of coma, and though Scully found it difficult to believe, she couldn't forget what she had seen that morning. She just hoped that Mulder was right and that he, whoever he was, would wake-up when the sun set. There were so many questions and so few answers. 

Scully stood up and stretched, then turned to check the clock. Four-fifty pm. Sunset should arrive soon. In the meantime, she'd better get back to her report. She picked up her cup of tea and sipped at as she sat back down at Mulder's computer. Staring at the screen, she rubbed her eyes, put down the warm mug, and resolutely forced herself to start typing. Before long she was completely absorbed in her work. 

Behind her on the couch, Jason slowly stirred in his sleep. His eyes blinked open and he stared at the ceiling for a moment, trying to remember where he was. He felt unexpectedly tired, until he recalled the events of the previous day. Swinging his feet silently to the floor, he sat up and looked around him. The apartment was a mess. Books lay everywhere, mixed with files, abandoned clothes, shoes, and other clutter. The window was blocked by a crooked dark blanket nailed haphazardly into the wall. Protection for him, obviously and that thought brought up a serious of insistent questions. 

He rubbed his eyes and finally noticed the woman typing away at the computer nearby, her back to him. It was not hard to recognize the lovely red-head, even from behind. She was casually dressed in jeans and a light-blue sweater, her hair pulled back into a small bob at the back of her neck. A few loose pieces curled over her ear and down into her face, and every so often she would absentmindedly swipe at them. How much did she, did they, know about him? And, he looked anxiously around him, where was Maria's child? 

He stood up swiftly and went to stand behind Scully. Engrossed in her work, she didn't notice him until he placed his hand on her shoulder. 

"Lady?" His voice was velvet in her ear. She spun around to look at him, her eyes dilating in surprise. 

"You're awake?" she said, unable to think of anything else to say. 

"Yes," he responded, still holding her shoulder, looking calmly down at her, his eyes a clear gray in his pale face. 

"How do you feel?" she asked, her bright blue eyes caught by his. 

"Tired, but well. How did you know what to do to help me?" he questioned her, his voice rising with curiosity. She seemed to be accepting him with remarkable calm. 

Scully felt shaky, certain he could feel her trembling under his touch. She wasn't certain whether to feel awe or fear or simple curiosity. The reality was probably a mix of all three. 

"I didn't know," she replied. "Mulder guessed, he's good at that kind of thing. I think he recognized you - you are the one who rescued him from the mugging last night, aren't you?" 

"I...," Jason quickly realized that it would be a waste to try to pretend otherwise. They had seen far too much already. Perhaps this was what he had really desired all along? He wasn't certain of anything. 

"Yes, I am," he said, admiring the cool beauty who faced him so easily. Most women would be terrified. She reminded him of Maria, both in her courage and her elegance. "I needed to protect him." He looked around the room. "Where is he?" 

"Mulder went to talk to the police and then to pick up some dinner. He should be back any minute. Why do you want to protect him? What is he to you?" She stared up at Jason with curiosity openly written on her face. 

He opened his mouth to answer, then paused and paced away from her. Then he turned and faced her again. 

"An old debt." 

"Debt? To whom?" She asked, getting even more curious, there were SO many questions. 

The short, fine-boned vampire smiled, revealing clear even teeth. "To a woman. A very special woman." His expression darkened in sorrow. "A long-dead woman." 

Scully caught the pain in his eyes and responded gently, "Tell me more." 

"I..." Jason paused. There was no time for this now. The other was still out there, wounded, but alive. As soon as he had fed, he would try again to kill Jason. It was too dangerous for Maria's child to be out on his own. "Another time, Lady. If I am awake, then the other will be too. It is too dangerous out there for Maria's child. We must find him and bring him to a safe place." His voice was low and urgent as he walked back towards the auburn-tressed woman. 

"The other? Maria's child? I don't understand?" Scully's heartbeat speeded up as she caught the worry and fear in the vampire's voice. 

"The other of my kind. The killer you are searching for. I felt his presence." Jason's eyes darkened. "And he knows that I am here. He is insane. It happens sometimes, when one of us cannot keep up with the world changing around him. The mind can no longer cope and the bloodlust takes over, dominating the soul. He and I have already fought once, he will try to destroy me. I cannot let you or Mar...the one you call 'Mulder' get in the way. You are too vulnerable." 

"Then our killer is a vampire? But what about you? You didn't kill those muggers, and you didn't kill Mulder last night. You need blood, though, I saw it heal you last night." 

"I don't need to kill to feed. Normally I can take enough from one or two adults to last me several days without causing them more than a little fatigue. Unless I am hurt. That was stupid last night, to let him feed me like that. I could have drained him." Jason's voice rose in accusation. 

"How was I supposed to know? I didn't even believe any of this was real until your skin started to heal so quickly." Scully stood up, looking Jason defiantly. "Besides, you don't know Mulder. I'd like to see you talk him out of doing something he has decided to do. Good luck!" 

Jason found himself laughing, even as he was struck again by her beauty. Desire rose in him, accompanied by the inevitable hunger. He would have to drink again soon. He forced the feelings down and responded quietly. "Thank you, Lady. I'll need it." He gave her a warm smile. 

"Need what?" Mulder's voice surprised them both. He stood silhouetted in the doorway, a pile of folders tucked under one arm, keys and a large paper bag dangling from his right hand. 

"Mulder! What took you so long?" Scully blurted. 

"Got stuck in traffic. I hate rush hour in D.C." Mulder kicked the door shut behind him and walked past Jason into the room, depositing the bag on the table by the couch. He sprawled down on the couch and looked up at them both with sparkling eyes. "So what have I missed?" 

"Nothing," Jason replied. "Stay here, both of you. Lock the door and don't go out." His normally soft voice was harsh on the command as he turned to leave. 

"Now wait just a minute," Mulder shouted, leaping to his feet and reaching out to grab Jason by the arm. Jason swung around and grasping Mulder under his forearm, easily lifted the taller man off his feet for a second, then set him down. 

Scully darted forward to stand between them. "Please, don't," she pleaded with them both, eyes darting between them. Jason's face was closed but determined. Mulder's showed excitement and curiosity. Scully's heart sank when she saw it. That look in his hazel eyes always spelled trouble. 

"I want some answers!" Mulder said, still holding tightly to Jason's arm. "Who are you? Why did you save me last night? Why did you show up on my doorstep almost burned alive? What is your link to these killings? You are a vampire, aren't you? Why..." Mulder ran out of breath and stopped to gasp for air. Scully and Jason looked at each other, and found themselves beginning to smile. 

Mulder got his lungs full of air and opened his mouth to continue, but halted when he caught the amusement in both their faces. "What?" he asked, looking innocently from one to the other. They both broke out laughing. 

**8:00 pm March 8**

The vampire staggered to his feet in the dark damp basement, furious he had had to seek shelter in such a repulsive place. Tonight he would have his revenge against the other. How dare that poor, cowardly excuse for a vampire mock him? How dare such a frail puny creature challenge his supremacy. The night, this city, these mortal prey were his by right. He ruled here, and would do so alone. 

He kicked out at the pile of rat carcasses beside him, then swooped down and picked up the larger body of a brown and white cat, noticing that a few drops of blood still oozed from the torn flesh of its neck. He held it aloft, squeezing tightly in his fists, wringing it like a wet towel, lapping up the red dribble that trickled down his wrists. Then, tossing the empty husk aside with a flick of his wrist, he began to plan his attack. This must be done carefully, he thought. He must not make another mistake like he had the previous night, letting his rage blind him to the oncoming dawn. The pain of that encounter remained with him, slowing his steps and dulling his senses. But another kill - a human kill - would solve that. Fresh human blood - the thought tantalized him, creating a hurricane of hunger in his belly. Yes, he needed to feed. Once he had drawn the blood and life out of a soft human woman, then he would be ready to destroy the aching thorn in his side. 

Laughter echoed in the night as he climbed up the wall and squeezed through a small blackened window to the empty street. 

**9:00 pm March 8**

Mulder sat silently on the couch, his thoughts in turmoil. He knew Jason was right when he insisted that vampires could only be destroyed by another vampire. He'd already learned that lesson several months ago in Los Angeles. Kristen had died for it. But he could not leave Jason to fight this alone, it wasn't right. Mulder felt like Jason was trying to fight his, Mulder's, battles for him, and Mulder refused to stand by and let that happen. All Jason would say was that he was keeping a promise, that it was too dangerous for Mulder and Scully to be involved, and then he would simply shut his mouth and glare at them. To Mulder that simply wasn't good enough. 

Mulder looked over at Scully who was watching him with worry in her eyes. He hated that look, because it was there far too often. She shouldn't have to spend so much of her time being frightened for him, or worse yet, being put in danger because of him. He hated placing her at risk, it made him feel sick inside, but he knew she'd be furious if he got protective, or went off without her. So it would have to be the three of them, he thought with resignation. He wouldn't let Jason go without him, and Scully wouldn't let him go without her. In an odd sort of way, it made sense, but Mulder still wished there was a way he could handle this on his own without putting either of them in danger. He caught Jason's clear gaze and suddenly knew, with total certainty, that the vampire had been thinking exactly same thoughts. 

Mulder let the corners of his mouth curl upwards in a rueful smile, and saw Jason respond with a smile of his own. A moment of total understanding flashed between them, something, he realized with a sense of shock, that he had never before felt with anyone except Scully. He reached out to take her hand. 

"We have to stop this vampire," he said, summarizing his hard-won conclusions. "Jason is the only one who can do that, since vampires can only be destroyed by their own kind. But alone he won't stand a chance. Our killer is older and stronger, and his insanity may push him to take chances a sane person wouldn't. Scully, we'll have to try to help, if only to provide a distraction - or bait. We ought to be able to hurt him enough to give Jason an upper hand. And if you're right, Jason, we won't even need to go looking for him, he'll come after us." Mulder looked anxiously from Scully's lovely, drawn face to Jason's gaunt, pale features. 

Both stared at him for a moment, but each thought better of continuing the fruitless argument they had indulged in for the past couple of hours. Intellectually they both knew their best chance lay in working together. Though he would have preferred to keep them both safely out of it, Jason couldn't help feeling respect for both mortals. The woman was a diamond of the first water, as strong as she was brave, smart and resourceful. And Mulder was so much like his ancestor, blazing intellect complimented by intense determination and a fierce sense of honor. They were worthy allies, he just wished there was a way of protecting them from the battle ahead. 

"Okay," Scully said. "How do we do this? How do you kill a vampire?" She glanced anxiously at Jason. 

"Fire, or breaking the spinal cord. An explosion might do it, too. It's just necessary that I be the cause. I'm not sure why it works this way, but it has always been so." Jason explained wearily, trying to hold the increasing hunger down. He could feel the other feeding, and the psychic echo enhanced his own need. 

"We can worry about why later," Mulder replied, though the sparkle in his eyes indicated that his mind was already busily turning over possibilities. He had so many more questions he wanted to ask Jason. He hoped they'd have time afterwards - that there would be an afterwards to ask questions in. "Right now we need to make plans," he continued. "You'll need to feed first, Jason. You'll need the strength." 

Jason nodded, the thought making it hard for him to speak calmly. The hunger was nagging intently at him. He could smell the blood flowing in both their veins, and the memory of tasting Mulder's blood was fresh on his tongue. His eyes began to give off a slight red glow. 

"How much blood do you need?" Scully asked, intensely curious. "Does it have to be human?" 

"Probably a few pints worth, and it doesn't have to be human, though tonight that would be better. Human blood is more powerful than animal blood. Since we can be sure that our enemy will take human blood, I'll need to do the same."  
Mulder frowned briefly in concentration, "How fresh does the blood have to be?" 

"A few days old, though the fresher the better. It starts to taste bad after a few hours." Jason grimaced. He'd had enough hard times over the long years to know the bitter taste of old blood well, as well as the taste of a variety of animals. The memories were not pleasant. 

"St. Mary's hospital keeps a fresh blood supply. They go through it so fast, we could probably find some taken today." Scully swallowed nervously, then braced herself. "And I can donate if you need it." 

"No...No." Both men spoke at once. They looked at each other, Mulder motioned for Jason to speak first. 

"That's not necessary, Lady," he said. If - hopefully, when - she allowed him to taste the sweetness of her blood, he wanted it to be under the right conditions. He wanted to make it beautiful for her. "The blood from the hospital will be fine, or I can go out and find someone. It would not take long." 

"No," Mulder shook his head. "It's too risky for you to go hunting for blood tonight. What if the other vampire catches up with you? Scully and I need to be with you at all times, and you can hardly pick up a girl in a bar with us in tow." He paused and thought about for a minute, then grinned. "Actually..." 

"Mulder!" Scully interrupted, giving him a disgusted look. 

"Well, anyway," he said, still grinning unabashedly. "Not tonight. Sorry, Jason, it looks like a frozen dinner for you this evening." The vampire bared his white teeth in a smile, the fangs just barely protruding. 

Mulder turned back to Scully, "We'll need to hold you for emergencies. If Jason gets badly hurt in the fight or needs a push during the fight, we could use a fresh blood source." 

Scully nodded acceptance, though her stomach was tied up in knots. She felt terribly uncomfortable. She tried to tell herself that letting Jason drink her blood really wasn't different than donating blood in a blood drive, but she couldn't help feeling nervous - this felt so much more personal. It wasn't that she didn't like the small, fair vampire, she did. A lot. But that realization only made her feel more nervous. 

"We'd better go quickly," Jason spoke calmly, managing to hide the turmoil within. "The other vampire has already killed again." He frowned, his eyes turning brighter red as he concentrated. "He's not finished. I think he will look for another victim before he comes after me. He is close to us, though. And very angry." 

The two agents exchanged worried glances, then stood up simultaneously. 

"No time like the present," Mulder said, picking up his gun, checking the clip and holstering it. "I'll drive." 

**10:10 pm March 18**

The tall, dark vampire stood in the darkness of an empty corner of the hospital parking lot. Did that weak fool believe that he would be safe within the brightly lit building? If so, he would die for his stupidity. He licked at a small drop of blood in the corner of his mouth, his senses soaring with the memory of his recent kill. The woman had given him a good struggle, it had been a delight to feel her life flow into his, to devour her strength. Her blood flowed through him, warm and powerful, making him feel like he was soaring on the wind. He was triumphant. 

A young nurse hurrying to her car passed him, unaware of the silent menace awaiting her in the dark. Her cap was askew on top of a loose knot of whitish-blond hair, her shoes made a quick clatter on the concrete. Behind her, he smiled. One moment he was as still as a statue, the next he was upon her. She barely had time to gasp for breath before he broke her neck, twisting it to the side with one hand, lifting her entire body up to his mouth with the other. He took out half the side of her neck in one bite, spitting out the flesh, then gulping at the blood that gushed out of her neck like a child bent over a water fountain. 

Taking another swallow from the large, blood-filled glass beaker, Jason sputtered and lifted his head in alarm. 

"What's wrong!" Mulder asked anxiously. "Is it still too cold?" 

"No...no," Jason replied. He felt a rush of blood- lust, hunger and satisfaction, triumph and hatred flooding his senses. It was so close, he felt like he could smell the blood, the fear, the ecstasy. His body quivered, the glass nearly dropping from his trembling hand. 

"Jason!" Mulder exclaimed, closing one hand upon Jason's shoulder and the other on the bottom of the precariously held beaker. Jason turned to him, eyes lost in a hungry red haze, his fangs extended across his bottom lip. 

Mulder tightened his grip on his new- found friend, and shook him hard. 

Jason blinked rapidly, eyes slowly retaining their focus, although the red color did not dim. "He has killed again, near to us. He's very close. I can feel his hunger, his hatred, his madness. It burns." 

Mulder's bright hazel eyes darkened. He understood what Jason was feeling all too well. His uncanny ability to get inside the heads of serial killers was one of the talents that had brought him so much success in his early years with the Bureau. But after he had gotten too close one time to many, or perhaps several times too many, he had begun to lose his sense of himself. He'd never admitted it to anyone, even Scully, but that was one of the reason's he'd originally been so vigorous in his pursuit of the X-Files. If he never had to face another one of these 'human' monsters again, it would be too soon. 

The only problem was that he had an extraordinary knack for catching them. Even despite the ridicule much of the FBI dumped on his head on a regular basis, when they had a serial killer on the loose they'd often decide that "Spooky" was worth consulting. Sometimes he wished he could bring himself to tell them what to do with themselves - and their cases. But in the end, he knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he could have done something to stop another killing and hadn't done it. So here he was again, about to come face-to-face with another monster. The fact that this wasn't really a human monster, but a vampire, which put it into the purview of his chosen X- Files, didn't make him feel any better. 

"Damn!" Mulder said expressively, squeezing Jason's shoulder in support. Leaving Jason's side, he hurried over to tap on the glass separating a small office from the blood lab, then opened the door and stuck his head inside to get Scully's attention. She was busily trying to finagle the paperwork to explain the unauthorized disappearance of several pints of blood, her bright head bent over a computer. 

"He's coming," Mulder stated succinctly. "Jason felt him kill someone nearby. We'd better get ready." 

"What, here?" Scully exclaimed, scraping the chair on the floor in her haste to get up. Her face was set and grim with dismay.  
"Looks like it." Mulder pulled back and went over to Jason who was peering around him, senses alert, his body tense as a coiled spring. Scully followed quickly, automatically checking for the reassuring presence of her gun. 

"Better drink that down, Jason," Mulder said. "I have a feeling you'll need it." Jason grimaced, staring at the lukewarm fluid with distaste, then lifted it to his lips and forced it down in a serious of rapid swallows. He hated second-hand blood, but Mulder was right. He would need all the help he could get. 

"We'd better find someplace more secluded," Scully said looking around her anxiously. "It's amazing we haven't been disturbed yet. As soon as they have some kind of emergency upstairs, it could get busy down here. The last thing we need is people walking into the middle of this." 

The two men nodded agreement. "Come on," Mulder said. "I know where to go." 

"Mulder - wait!" Scully called after him, but he was already running through the door. Jason dropped the bloody beaker on a table and took her hand, pulling her after him. His expression said what she already knew: no use wasting time arguing, especially with someone as stubborn as Mulder. 

Mulder burst into the empty morgue minutes before Scully and Jason could catch up with him. He reached to his right for a light switch, hand fumbling in the darkness. Finally finding the switch he blinked into the sudden light, turning to look into the room. A gasp of shock escaped his lips as he found himself facing a horror out of his worst nightmares. The body of a young woman, head twisted at an impossible angle, the tendons, muscle and cartilage of her neck and right breast hanging out of her body in gory trails, her formerly white uniform drenched red, was dangling in mid-air from the bony hand of a ghoul. Eyes as impossible bright as the gore that covered its face glimmered above a pair of dripping fangs that stretched down to the bottom of its chin. It bared the sharp teeth in a sickening imitation of a smile, then threw back its head and laughed. The incongruously beautiful sound sent shivers up Mulder's spine, even as his hand moved under his coat to close upon the hard, cold handle of his gun. 

In the same split second Mulder drew his gun and the apparition dropped its lifeless burden and leaped towards the terrified federal agent. The gun fired just as a set of ice-cold fingers closed painfully upon Mulder's wrist. The gun clattered to the floor, even as the bullet struck the vampire in the middle of his chest. Blood spurted from the wound, but the insane creature ignored it, lifting the tall man into the air and throwing him across the room. 

Scully and Jason ran through the door just in time to see Mulder land on top of an examining table on the other side of the room. Instruments clattered and flew, as he landed in pile of tangled limbs, hands desperately clasped around his still sore head. 

"Federal Agent, Freeze," Scully shouted as she pointed her gun at the large dark figure that was moving swiftly after her partner. It ignored her, picking Mulder up by the shoulders and lowering pointed fangs against his neck. With a cry of intense rage, Jason jumped into the air, nearly flying across the room to land on top of the other vampire. He dug his hands into its neck, yanking it backwards with all of his supernaturally-enhanced strength. Screaming loudly in frustration at being robbed of its prey, biting deeply into Jason's hand. Jason cried out in turn, pulling his hand away, then twisting downwards, he bulldozed into the vampire's stomach, sending it flying backwards to crash into a supply cabinet. The glass front broke on impact, sending out shower of glass. 

Scully took her chance. Unhesitating, she pumped six bullets into the fallen vampire, hitting it square in the middle of the chest three times, then once each in the shoulder, leg, and abdomen. It growled in pain, staggering to its feet, face contorted, blood flowing from the gaping tears in its chest. Once on its feet it grinned at Scully, reaching into its chest with long fingers and pulling out a pair of bullets. It dropped the small lead objects to the floor, then flew at her, picking her up and tossing her into the air. 

Jason had turned to pull Mulder to his feet, but Mulder pushed him away. 

"Go! I'm fine. Get the bastard." 

Mulder's voice was shaky, but his face was set in stone, determination glittering in his eyes. Jason released Mulder and dove for the ghoulish dark figure, just as it threw Scully up into the air. 

Jason hit him from behind, both tumbling to the ground, followed by the small woman, who let out a piecing squawk as she landed awkwardly on top of them both. Rolling to the side, she curled up in into a fetal position, only to be yanked to her feet by Mulder. He dragged her back against the wall, and for a few awful seconds they watched the two vampires struggle on the floor. Each was lost in fury, eyes blazing red fire, fangs fully bared, fingers curved into claws. They spit at each other, each trying to get into a position to take a bite out of the other's flesh. Jason clawed at his adversary's face, ripping out a section of his cheek. In response, the maddened creature grabbed Jason by his hair and upper arm and in one extraordinary heave, lifted the smaller vampire up into the air, flipping him over his head to collapse on his back on the floor, half-sprawled across the dead nurse. 

Both vampires leaped to their feet and turned to face each other, snarling with rage. Scully watched in shocked amazement, too terrified even to feel the bruises covering her body. Beside her, Mulder's mind was spinning, frantically searching for a way to help Jason. His eyes finally fell on a large bone-saw that had fallen off the table he had crashed down upon earlier. He raced for it, feet slipping on the bloody floor. He went down in a surprisingly smooth glide, scooping it up into his arms, even as he hit the floor. His feet bounced off the wall with a bang, but the noise went unnoticed by the two vampires still caught in their deadly battle. 

"Mulder!" Scully managed to get to him without falling down, reaching out to help him get up. A crash from the other side of the room caught their attention, Scully screamed in horror as the killer stabbed Jason through the eye with a large scalpel, causing Jason to collapse to the floor, fluid gushing out of the crushed eye. 

Mulder jumped at the back of the triumphant creature with the large blade in his hand, fumbling for the on switch as he brought it up over his head and down on the laughing vampire's neck. He screamed and tired to turn around as the buzzing saw sliced though the skin and hit the bone, the sound whining up into a screech as it worked its way through the spine and out the other side. The head fell off, rolling to the ground as the torso went down with a soft thud. 

Mulder stood staring down at the gory sight in utter shock, the saw still buzzing in his hand, while Scully raced around him to kneel down by Jason. Tears fell from her eyes as she lifted his head to look at the damage to his eye. He twitched in her arms, his other eye focusing up on her whitened face, tendrils of auburn hair pasted to her skin. 

"I'll be okay," he murmured, his voice breaking into a choking sob. 

"SShhhh," she whispered to him, suddenly losing any fear of what she suddenly knew she would do. Pulling a knot of half-way unbound hair out of the way, she angled her head sideways and pressed the side of her neck against Jason's mouth. 

Drink!" she commanded. 

"No!" he tried to push her away with trembling hands. She turned her head to look fiercely into his undamaged eye.  
"Don't be ridiculous! You need this! Stop acting like an idiot and drink!" 

She pressed the side of her neck back against his neck, bracing herself for the pain of his bite. But when it came, the discomfort was only momentary. The first stab of pain was replaced by a deeply soothing warmth that spread out from her neck until it infused her entire body. With a gasp of relief she relaxed against him, letting his arms come up to support her, his hands caressing the back of her head, holding her still while he suckled at the pulse in her throat. She found herself moaning softly, as the warmth turned into an aching rush of pleasure. Soon they were both lost to their surroundings, absorbed in the delight of their sharing, blood flowing through their veins in unison. 

Mulder let the buzz saw fall from his fingers, a sense of relief warring with horror as he stared at the body he had just robbed of its head. The machine sputtered and bounced on the floor, cutting deep grooves in the tile before it hit the wall and clanked off. The vampire's head rolled over into the corner, and lay there, the jagged edges of the neck leeching both blood and lymph, the eyelids still flickering. 

The body rested at Mulder's feet, legs splayed out at unnatural angles, one arm buried underneath, the other clenching at air where the neck used to be. Mulder sank to his knees beside it, unable to resist reaching out to poke at it. When it didn't respond, he thumped it harder, relief bringing on his sense of the ridiculous. A small grin etched it way into his face as he looked up to find Scully and Jason. But the dry joke died on his lips as a hand suddenly grabbed onto his leg. He screamed loudly, pulling back away from the headless torso which was starting to convulse. 

Mulder's scream was loud enough to pull Jason's attention away from the healing flow of blood. His right eye was still in bad shape, but it had closed up and the pain had been reduced to a tolerable level. Scully moaned in dismay as he released her neck, reaching out to pull him back to her. He restrained her gently, laying her down on the floor, then turned his attention to the body jerking around on the floor, arms waving in the air. It might not be particularly dangerous without its head, but it would not die unless he took action. Jason couldn't imagine leaving anyone like that, even this monster. He looked around him for a solution, reacting quickly as he spotted a yellow refrigerator-cabinet with bright warning stickers on it that said Organic wastes. 

He got to it quickly, tearing the door off its hinges with his remaining strength. He reached for a couple of bottles at random, then spun around, yelling at Mulder. 

"Get her out of here, now!" 

Stunned as he was, Mulder caught Jason's intention immediately. Giving the cavorting corpse a wide margin, he scooped made it over to Scully in seconds and lifted her up into his arms. He carried the semi-conscious woman towards the door, glancing behind him to watch Jason empty several bottles worth of liquid onto the headless body. Some of the fluid bubbled, giving off an unpleasant smell. 

"Come on!" Mulder yelled at Jason from the doorway, "Get out of there." 

Jason didn't waste a moment. He didn't even bother opening the last bottle, he simply tossed it. The brown glass shattered instantly as it hit the floor, splashing liquid phenol on top of the body, which soon began to corrode. From behind the glass of the doorway, the three stood in silence, watching as the chemicals slowly ate their way through the convulsing flesh, devouring it into a sticky, unidentifiable mass of goo which bubbled as it started to chew its way into the tiles of the floor. 

**9:30 pm March 19**

Sprawled out on the steps to the Washington monument, Fox Mulder turned the small gold locket over in his hand, the bright metal warm in his hands. Tracing the carved crest on the front intently, he barely heard his partner as she walked up the steps towards him. 

"Mulder?" She reached out to touch his shoulder lightly as she sat down. 

"Scully," he said, eyes still focused on his hands and the object they were gently caressing. 

"Where's Jason?" 

"Gone." Mulder replied, finally turning his head to look at her. Under the moonlight, her hair shone a soft burnished copper, bound up in a knot at the base of her neck. A few strands curled loose around her slightly pointed chin. He fingered one red-gold whisp tenderly, then met her eyes directly. 

"He just gave me this," Mulder explained, displaying the locket and chain, "and then he disappeared. One moment he was there, the next he was just...gone." He waved a hand in the air. 

Scully's bright blue eyes turned moist with disappointment. 

"He didn't say anything about where he was going, or if he'd be back?" 

Mulder shook his head silently, his eyes deep and dark in the shadowed light. 

"Just that this should be mine. But," he gave her a gentle smile. "I don't think we've seen the last of him. He'll come to us again - when he's ready." 

"How can you be so sure?" Scully asked, still feeling hurt that Jason had left without saying good-bye to her. 

"I can feel it, Scully." Mulder answered, picking up the locket and slipping the wide gold chain over his neck. The locket came to rest against the hollow of this throat, bobbling slightly over the front of his brightly-patterned tie. Scully reached out to hold it still, then clicked it open. Inside was a small faded picture of a smiling dark-haired woman with bright hazel eyes. Mulder's hand closed over hers, cupping the locket between them. 

"I wonder who she is?" he said thoughtfully. 

"'A very special woman. A long dead woman.'" Scully quoted Jason's words. Mulder glanced up at her in surprise. She laughed and reached up to smooth his dark bangs off his forehead, then brushed his left cheekbone with the back of her hand. "Just something Jason said. I don't completely understand it all, but I think she's the reason he feels protective of you." 

"I wonder..." Mulder frowned down at the grainy image, then closed the locket and stared out into the night at the bright lights of the Capitol. "I guess we'll have to wait until Jason is ready to tell us." 

"Guess so," Scully replied, leaning her head on his shoulder as his arm came around her to clasp her tightly against him. He kissed her forehead, her nose, then claimed her mouth. She sighed and pressed against, enjoying the feel and taste of him. When he pulled his mouth of hers to regain his breath, she smiled and whispered. "I think I have a rain check to collect." He smiled in return, stood up, and taking her hand, led her back down the steps. 

In the shadows to the right of Abraham Lincoln a small, fair-haired figure stood silent and motionless, watching the couple as they made their way hand-in-hand down the steps and across the grass. Red eyes glimmered as white teeth bared in a soft smile. 

Watching, always watching, but finally for a purpose.


End file.
